White beaches, clear waters, tourists and a vibrant party scene - in so few words, this is Boracay to a lot of people. A seven kilometre stretch of beach (the famous White Beach), lines the island's western side, while Bulabog, a kite-surfer's paradise, sits on the east. When the winds hit White Beach (Habagat, aka typhoon season), Bulabog is calm. During high season (Amihan), Bulabog is full of waves while the White Beach water lays still, quietly reflecting the blaring sun overhead. 

Getting to Boracay

Getting to Boracay is easy enough. A number of Filipino and Asian budget airlines fly daily from Manila and other parts of the Philippines, and at reasonable prices. Philippine Airlines, AirAsia and Cebu Pacific are all options for reaching the island. Caticlan is the airport right next to the island (a ferry ride away), while Kalibo is around a 90 minute bus ride away (air-conditioned). The latter helps pinch the pennies for travellers on a budget.

Boracay is shaped like a tilted bone, with beaches on either of its long sides and a main road running through the middle. Tuk tuks travel back and forth up the main road, which connects to the beaches in several locations, making it easy to get around. It's probably no longer than a forty minute drive from one side to the other, and that's with traffic.

Boracay Stations 

Most of Boracay is divided into 'Stations' which they call 1, 2 and 3. In my opinion, Station 1 is the nicest, an elegant selection of restaurants, hotels and bars (check out Kasbah, one of my favourites), but still relatively quiet. Station 2 is the party station and I would not recommend staying anywhere on it if you  enjoy sleeping. Station 3 is the cheapest out of the three, with a mix of extravagant and mediocre hotels alike, and rougher stretches of beach (compared to the fine sand in Stations 1 and 2).

For some brief hotel recommendations, if you like extravagance, the Shangri La should tick the box. If you want to party and meet people, Frendz Hostel is the place for you (they have private rooms as well). If you're after a spa holiday, the luxurious Mandala Spa is sure to satisfy, although it should be noted it's a little further away from the nice parts of the beach. If you want to kite surf, anywhere in Bulabog should do the trick, although it's quite important to go in peak season if you want waves. 

During peak season Boracay can get rowdy (not to mention the island has a huge influx on visitors during Chinese New Year - I recommend checking when that falls when you plan to visit), so it's really not for everyone. I lived on a little hill in Diniwid away from the party scene, and loved it. Filipinos may tell you it's not authentic Philippines on account of so many tourists, but I always had a great time when I went, and the beaches are still stunning.

I ended my four month stint in Boracay with an 11-day boat and overland trip up to Manila. Read all about it here. 

And in the meantime, some of my Boracay snaps: